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Sindh (Sindhī: سنڌ, Urdū: سندھ) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and is home to the Sindhis, and Muhajirs and various other groups. Neighbouring regions are Balochistan to the west and north, Punjab in the north, Rajasthan (India) to the east and the Arabian Sea and Gujarat (India) to the south. The main languages are Sindhi and Urdu. Known by various names in the past, the name Sindh comes from the Indo-Aryans whose legends claimed that the Indus River flowed from the mouth of a lion or Sinh-ka-bab. In Sanskrit, the province was dubbed Sindhu meaning "ocean". The Assyrians (as early as the seventh century BCE) knew the region as Sinda, the Persians Abisind, the Greeks Sinthus, the Romans Sindus, the Chinese Sintow, while the Arabs dubbed it Sind. It is mentioned to be a part of Abhirrdesh (Abhira Kingdom) in Srimad Bhagavatam . The origin of the name is from the Sanskrit 'Sindhu' or 'the sea,' because of the size of the Great River on the West. In ancient times, there were two regions in this area ('Sindh' on the west, extending up to the city of Multan and 'Hind' (modern India) on the east). Sindh was the first place where Islam spread in the South Asia by arrival of Umayyad general Muhammad bin Qasim. As a result, it is often referred to as "Bab-al-Islam" (Abode of Islam).

Geography

Sindh is located on the western corner of South Asia, bordering the Iranian plateau in the west. Geographically it is the third largest province of Pakistan, stretching about 579 km from north to south and 442 km (extreme) or 281 km (average) from east to west, with an area of 140,915 km². Sindh is bounded by the Thar Desert to the east, the Kirthar Mountains to the west, and the Arabian Sea in the south. In the centre is a fertile plain around the Indus river. The devastating floods of the river Indus are now controlled by irrigation techniques.

Karachi became capital of Sindh in 1936, in place of the traditional capitals of Hyderabad and Thatta. Other important cities include Sukkur,Shahdadkot, Kamber Khan, Dadu, Sehwan, MirPur Khas,Larkano, Shahdadpur, Nawabshah, Shikarpur, Khairpur, Nawabshah, Kashmor, Dadu, UmerKot and Thar

Climate

A subtropical region, Sindh is hot in the summer and cold in winter. Temperatures frequently rise above 46 °C (115 °F) between May and August, and the minimum average temperature of 2 °C (36 °F) occurs during December and January. The annual rainfall averages about seven inches, falling mainly during July and August. The Southwest Monsoon wind begins to blow in mid-February and continues until the end of September, whereas the cool northerly wind blows during the winter months from October to January.

Sindh lies between the two monsoons - the southwest monsoon from the Indian Ocean and the northeast or retreating monsoon, deflected towards it by Himalayan mountains — and escapes the influence of both. The average rainfall in Sindh is only 6 to 7 inches per year, but the loss during the two seasons is compensated by the Indus, in the form of inundation, caused twice a year by the spring and summer melting of Himalayan snow and by rainfall in the monsoon season. These natural patterns have changed somewhat with the construction of dams and barrages on the Indus.

Climatically, Sindh is divided in three sections - Siro (upper section centered on Jacobabad), Wicholo (middle section centered on Hyderabad), and Lar (lower section centered on Karachi). In upper Sindh, the thermal equator passes through Sindh. The highest temperature ever recorded was 53 °C (127 °F in 1919. The air is generally very dry. In winter frost is common.

In central Sindh, average monsoon wind speed is 11 miles/hour in June. The temperature is lower than upper Sindh but higher than lower Sindh. Dry hot days and cool nights are summer characteristics. Maximum temperature reaches 43-44 °C (110-112 °F). Lower Sindh has a damper and humid maritime climate affected by the south-western winds in summer and north-eastern winds in winter and with lower rainfall than central Sindh. The maximum temperature reaches about 35-38 °C (95-100 °F). In the Kirthar range at 6,000 feet and higher on the Gorakhnath and other peaks in Dadu District, temperatures near freezing have been recorded and brief snow fall is received in winters.

Demographics and society

The population is approximately 40 to 45 million while the 1998 census indicated 30.439 million, with just under half being urban dwellers, mainly found in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Larkana. Sindh is officially a bilingual province with large sections of the population speaking Sindhi and Urdu languages with other languages spoken including Siraiki, Balochi, Brahui, Punjabi, Pashto, Rajasthani and Gujarati. The urban areas of Sindh are dominated by Muhajir Urdu and the rural areas consisting of prodominantly Sindhi people. Due to this ethnic composition, Sindh has become a highly polarized province. It is estimated that Balochi sindhis make up 30%, Urdu speaking Sindhis make up 25% and natives make up 45% of the total population of Sindh. Chief tribes of Sindh are Jats and Rajputs, while Balochi and Urdu speaking sindhis are settlers. Both Balochi Sindhi and natives speak Sindhi language as their mother tongue. By language, Sindhi speakers make up 55% and Urdu speakers make up 25%, while 20% of the total pop. of Sindh speaks Gujarati, Bengali, Balochi, Seraiki, Thari, Kutchi and Persian.

Sindh's population is predominantly Sunni Muslim. There is also a large Shia minority and a significant Deobandi Sunni minority. Nearly all the Sunnis belong to the Hanafi school of jurisprudence. The Shia predominantly belong to the Ithna 'ashariyah school of jurisprudence. There are also small but important Shia Nizari Ismaili and Shia Dawoodi Bohra communities. The province of Sindh is also home to the vast majority of Pakistan's Hindus, numbering roughly 1.8 million. Smaller groups of Christians, Parsis or Zoroastrians, Ahmadis and a tiny Jewish community (of around 200) can also be found in the province.

The Sindhis as a whole are composed of original descendants of an ancient population known as Sammaat, various sub-groups related to the Siraiki or Baloch origin are found in interior Sindh. Sindhis of Balochi origin make up about 30% of the total population of Sindh, while immigrant Urdu speaking Sindhis make up 25% of the total population of the province. Also found in the province is a small group claiming descent from early Muslim settlers including Arabs, Turks, and Persians. Most of the urban population of Sindh living in Karachi, Hyderabad etc. are descendants of people who migrated to Pakistan in 1947. and are called Muhajir or Urdu speaking Sindhis.

History

In ancient times, the territory of the modern Sindh province was sometimes known as Sovira (or Souveera) and also as Sindhudesh, Sindhu being the original name for Indus River and the suffix 'desh' roughly corresponding to country or territory. The first known village settlements date as far back as 7000 BCE. Permanent settlements at Mehrgarh to the west expanded into Sindh. The original inhabitants of ancient Sindh, and other regions of Pakistan, were the aborigine tribes speaking languages related to Munda languages. The Aryans invaded from the Iranian plateau and settled in the Indus valley around 4000 BCE. This Aryan culture blossomed over the centuries and gave rise to the Indus Valley Civilization around 3000 BCE. The Indus Valley Civilization rivaled the contemporary civilizations of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia in both size and scope numbering nearly half a million inhabitants at its height with well-planned grid cities and sewer systems. A branch of these tribes called the Indo-Aryans are believed to have founded the Vedic Civilization that existed between Sarasvati River and Ganges River around 1500 BCE and also influenced Indus Valley Civilization. This civilization helped shape subsequent cultures in South Asia. The Aryan invaders instituted the caste system to enslave the native population and the aborigine tribes (citation/proof needed).

Sindh was conquered by the Persian Achaemenid Empire in the 6th century BCE, and became part of the Persian satrapy (province) of Hindush centered in the Punjab to the north. Persian speech had a tendency to replace 'S' with an 'H' resulting in 'Sindu' being pronounced and written as 'Hindu'. They introduced the Kharoshti script and links to the west in the region. Subsequently conquered by Greeks led by Alexander the Great, the region came under loose Greek control for a few decades until Alexander's death and brief Seleucid rule and then was conquered by the Mauryans led by Chandragupta in 305 BCE. Later, during the reign of the Buddhist king Ashoka the region would solidly become a Buddhist domain. Following a century of Mauryan rule which ended by 232 BCE, the region came under the Greco-Bactrians based in what is today Afghanistan and these rulers would also convert to and proliferate Buddhism in the region. The Scythians shattered the Greco-Bactrians fledgling empire and then the Tocharian Kushan Empire annexed Sindh by the 1st century CE. Though the Kushans were Zoroastrian, they were tolerant of the local Buddhist tradition and sponsored many building projects for local beliefs. The Huns and remnants of the Kushans, Scythians, and the Sassanid Persians all exercised some degree of control in Sindh until the coming of the Muslim Arabs in 711 CE.

Conquered by Syrian Arabs led by Muhammad bin Qasim, Sindh became the easternmost province of the Umayyad Caliphate. The lands further east were known to the Arabs as Hind. The defeat of the Brahmin ruler Rjaa Dahir was made easier due to the tension between the Buddhist majority and the ruling Brahmins' fragile base of control. The Arabs redefined the region and adopted the term budd to refer to the numerous Buddhist idols they encountered, a word that remains in use today. The city of Mansura was established as a regional misr or capital and Arab rule lasted for nearly 3 centuries and a fusion of cultures produced much of what is today modern Sindhi society. Arab geographers, historians and travelers also sometimes called the entire area from the Arabian Sea to the Hindu Kush, Sindh. The meaning of the word Sindhu being water (or ocean) appears to refer to the Indus river. In addition, there is a mythological belief among Muslims that four rivers had sprung from Heaven: Neel (Nile), Furat (Euphrates), Jehoon (Jaxartes) and Sehoon (Sindh or in modern times the Indus).

Arab rule ended with the ascension of the Soomro dynasty, who were local Sindhi Muslims and who controlled the province directly and as vassals from 1058 to 1249. Turkic invaders conquered the area by 977 CE and the region loosely became part of the Ghaznavid Empire and then the Delhi Sultanate which lasted until 1524. The Mughals seized the region and their rule lasted for another two centuries, while another local Sindhi Muslim group the Samma challenged Mughal rule from their base at Thatta. The Muslim Sufi played a pivotal role in converting the millions of native people to Islam. Sindh, though part of larger empires, continued to enjoy certain autonomy as a loyal Muslim domain and came under the rule of the Arghun Dynasty and the Tarkhan dynasty from 1519 to 1625. Sind became a vassal-state of the Afghan Durrani Empire by 1747. It was then ruled by Kalhora rulers and later the Balochi Talpurs from 1783.

British forces under General Charles Napier arrived in Sindh in the 19th century and conquered it in 1843. It is said that he sent back to the Governor General a one-word message, "Peccavi" – Latin for "I have sinned". In actual fact, this pun first appeared as a cartoon in Punch magazine. The first Aga Khan helped the British in the conquest of Sindh and was granted a pension as a result.. After 1853 Sindh was divided into provinces and was assigned a Zamindar's to collect taxes for British, Zamindar's were also known as 'Wadara'.Wadara of "Shikarpur" was Lord Wadra Bhagwandas Golani (1861 - 1931) a merchant born in the royal family of the Golani's . After his death in his eldest son Shobraj Bhagwandas Golani (1885 - 1978) took over as the Landlord of Shikarpur, Digri, Jamrao, Kachhelo, Tando Jan Mohammed, Ratnabad, Roshanabad and Khayrpur. Shobraj Bhagwandas Golani was also invited to Great Britain by the King along with all the Nawab's and Rajah's of India in 1901 to discuss the participation of their respective provinces in Expansion of British Empire in Middle East. Shobraj along with his eldest son Shri Hashmatrai S Golani (1918 - 1979) moved to Bombay in 1948 after Partition of India and Pakistan. Sindh was later made part of British India's Bombay Presidency, and became a separate province in 1935. The British ruled the area for a century and Sindh was home to many prominent Muslim leaders including Muhammad Ali Jinnah who agitated for greater Muslim autonomy.

Following World War II, Britain withdrew from British India and Sindh voted to join Pakistan in 1947 and Muslim immigrants from India replaced the Hindu educated elites who moved to India. Later local Sindhis have resented the continuous illegal influx of population from India and other South Asian countries, Afghanistan, including Pashtun and Punjabi immigrants to Karachi. Nonetheless, traditional Sindhi families remain prominent in Pakistani politics, especially the Bhutto dynasty. In recent years Sindhi dissatisfaction has grown over issues such as illegal immigration, control of natural resources of gas, petrol and coal, the construction of large dams, perceived discrimination in military/government jobs, provincial autonomy, admission to educational institutes, and overall revenue shares.

Government

The Provincial Assembly of Sindh is unicameral and consists of 168 seats of which 5% are reserved for non-Muslims and 17% for women.

Districts

There are 23 districts in Sindh, Pakistan.

Major cities

Economy

Endowed with coastal access, Sindh is the backbone of Pakistan economy as it generates almost 30% of the total national revenue which dropped down to 26.8% in last two years, whereas in return federal government pays back just 23% from financial divisible pool. Sindh government considers that the formula of financial resource distribution i.e. NFC award is unjust and solely population denominated.Bu the fact remains that as most business done through Karachi, as the major sea port of the country and also the revenue collection centre as headquarters of all major banks working in country are in Karachi this and other things like such makes it clear that becuase of Karachi as business hub Sindh revenue is much higher then to its genuine revenue income.

Sindh is a major centre of economic activity in Pakistan and has a highly diversified economy ranging from heavy industry and finance centered in and around Karachi to a substantial agricultural base along the Indus. Pakistan's rapidly growing information technology sector (IT) is also centered in Karachi and manufacturing includes machine products, cement, plastics, and various other goods.

Agriculture is very important in Sindh with cotton, rice, wheat, sugar cane, bananas and mangoes as the most important crops. Sindh is the richest province in natural resources of gas, petrol and coal.

Vegetation

The province is mostly arid with scant vegetation except for the irrigated Indus Valley. The dwarf Palm, Acacia Rupestris (Kher), and Tecomella undulata (Lohirro) trees are typical of the western hill region. In the Indus valley, the Acacia nilotica (Babul) (Bbabbur) is the most dominant and occurs in thick forests along the Indus banks. The Azadirachta indica (Neem) (Nim), Zizyphys vulgaris (Bir) (Bber), Tamarix orientalis (Jujuba Lai) and Capparis aphylla (Kirirr) are among the more common trees.

Mango, Date Palms, and the more recently introduced Banana, Guava, Orange, and Chiku are the typical fruit-bearing trees. The coastal strip and the creeks abound in semi-aquatic and aquatic plants, and the inshore Indus deltaic islands have forests of Avicennia tomentosa (Timmer) and Ceriops candolleana (Chaunir) trees. Water Lilies grow in abundance in the numerous lake and ponds, particularly in the lower Sindh region.

Flora and fauna

Among the wild animals, the Sindh Ibex (Sareh), Wild Sheep (Urial or gadh) and Black Bear are found in the western rocky range, where the Leopard is now rare. The Pirrang (large tiger cat or fishing Cat) of the eastern desert region is also disappearing. Deer occur in the lower rocky plains and in the eastern region, as do the Striped Hyena (Charakh),Jackal, Fox, Porcupine, common gray Mongoose, and Hedgehog. The Sindhi phekari, Ped Lynx or Caracal Cat, is found in some areas.

Phartho (hog deer) and wild bear occur particularly in the central inundation belt. There are a variety of bats, lizards, and reptiles, including the cobra, lundi (viper), and the mysterious Sindh krait of the Thar region, which is supposed to suck the victim's breath in his sleep. Crocodiles are rare and inhabit only the backwaters of the Indus and the Eastern Nara channel. Besides a large variety of marine fish, the plumbeous dolphin, the beaked dolphin, rorqual, or blue whale, and a variety of skates frequent the seas along the Sind coast. The Pallo (sable fish), though a marine fish, ascends the Indus annually from February to April to spawn.

Education

Education in the province is widespread and the province has a high literacy rate compared to other parts of Pakistan, mainly due to the importance of Karachi. The major academic institutions of Sindh include the Aga Khan University,Bahria University, University of Karachi, Sindh University, NED University of Engineering and Technology, Institute of Business Administration (Karachi), Dow University of Health Sciences, National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (Jamshoro),Mehran_University_of_Engineering_and_Technology (M.U.E.T)Quaid e Awam University of Engineering and Technology Nawabshah(Q.U.E.S.T) Isra University Hyderabad, Hamdard University Karachi, Baqai Medical University Karachi, Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur (salu), Chandka Medical College, Peoples'Medical College Nawabshah, Sindh Madarastul Islam Karachi, D.J. Sindh Government Science College, and the Indus Valley Institute of Art and Architecture, Shaheed Z.A. Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology Karachi, Sindh Agricultural University Tandojam.

There are six Cadet Colleges also. The admissions to state run educational institutions in Pakistan is based on the provincial level. The other three provinces have merit based intraprovincial admission policy. Sindh is an exception to this general rule, where admissions are allowed on district domiciles of the candidates and their parents. This arrangement discriminates meritorious students of Sindhi ethnic background students from getting admission to educational institutes and courses of their choice. Currently there is a lot of resentment to this admission policy. Sindhis are demanding intraprovincial merit based admissions to state run educational institutes, similar to the one existing in other provinces. This will provide equal oportunities to all students of Sindh. Furthermore armed forces have also entered in education sector. They are funded by government and operate like private costly education providers.

Cultural heritage

Sindh has a rich heritage of traditional handicraft that has evolved over the centuries and perhaps the most professed exposition of Sindhi culture is in the handicrafts of Hala- a town some 30 kilometres off Hyderabad. Hala’s artisans are manufacturing high quality and impressively priced wooden handicrafts, textiles, paintings, handmade paper products, blue pottery, etc. Lacquered wood works known as Jandi, painting on wood, tiles and pottery known as Kashi, hand woven textiles including Khadi, Susi and Ajrak are synonymous with Sindhi culture preserved in Hala’s handicraft.

The artisans of Hala rarely get the justified price of their labour. The middlemen have been exploiting the artisans for decades selling the handicrafts at exorbitant profit margins at tourist hot spots of Karachi Lahore and Islamabad and even abroad. There is a dire need of patronizing the handicraft cluster of Hala, provide the artisans a platform to sell their products in cities and export markets so as to enable them earn handsome amount of their produced goods.

The Small and Medium Enterprises Authority (SMEDA) is planning to set up an organization of artisans to empower the community. SMEDA is also publishing a directory of the artisans so that exporters can directly contact them. Hala is the home of a remarkable variety of traditional crafts and traditional handicrafts that carry with them centuries of skill that has woven magic into the motifs and designs used.

The diverse Sindhi cultures, lifestyles, traditions and geographical conditions too have lent their bit and for over a century handicrafts have been a source of pride and a livelihood for the people of Hala. Kashi woodwork and other products made by the artisan community of Hala have established a position in the domestic and international markets. Jandi woodwork of Hala gives the glimpse of the richness of Pakistani culture and tradition has been followed through generations.

Sindh is known world over not only for Mohenjo-daro but also for its various handicrafts and arts. The work of Sindhi artisans was sold in ancient markets of Armenia, Baghdad, Basra, Istanbul, Cairo and Samarkand. Referring to the lacquer work on wood locally known as Jandi, T. Posten an English traveller who visited Sindh in early 19th century said, the articles of Hala could be compared with exquisite specimens of China.

Jandi is famous all over the world due to its delicacy, durability and the natural beauty of the wood. Jandi is rendered on lamps, candle stands, flower vase, jewelry boxes, cigarette boxes, ash trays, pots, swings, cots, dressing tables, chairs & tables, bedroom sets, sofa sets and telephone stands. The Jandi work also has its drawbacks. The persons associated with the business said that lacquer furniture and items have a long life but acid, alcohol, and oil will damage the colour. Moreover, direct sunshine and water can destroy the life of the products. Dry and soft cloths should be used for cleaning purpose. The small town Hala has also preserved the extraordinary traditional ceramic techniques.

The village potters known as kumhaar across the Indian sub continent are still producing exquisite earthenware in Hala. In Pakistan the finest examples of Kashi work are in the Sindh province. Kashi work consisted of two kinds: (a) Enamel-faced tiles and bricks of strongly fired red earthenware, or terracotta; (b) Enamel faced tiles and tesserae of lightly fired lime-mortar, or sandstone. Some authorities describe tile-mosaic work as the true Kashi. Hala’s apparel tradition is one of the world’s oldest with handlooms and power looms dating back to the Indus valley civilization. The hand-spun and hand-woven cloth called "Khadi" was being exported to various countries since time immemorial.

Since Khadi deals in natural fibres viz. cotton, silk and wool only, spun and woven in natural environment, it can boast of being 100 per cent natural, unlike handloom and mills which receive cotton yarn, blended with some regenerated cellulose fibres. Khadi cloth has found its place in haute couture and on the ramps of most eminent fashion devas.

Over a period of time cotton was mixed with silk to create Mashru, a double layered material with a thick cotton base and a silken warp woven in satin weave, a purely Indian innovation. It was woven specially for the ladies. In the Susi weave the cotton weft lay against the skin; hence it was permissible to wear it. In the Ain-i Akbari, it is mentioned that Susi, a reputed silken fabric from Shush, a town in Persia, was originally brought to the Deccan via Alexandria during the 11th century. Susi lost its silken character somewhere along the line and reappeared as a cotton fabric in Lahore in the 1620’s. Susi later became synonymous with Sindh, the primary production centres being Hala and Hyderabad.

Technological improvements were gradually introduced such as the spinning wheel and treadle in the weavers’ loom, to increase refinement in designing, dyeing and printing by block. Painting process amounted for a much higher volume of output. The refined, lightweight, colourful, washable fabrics from Hala became a luxury for people used to only woollens and linens of the age.

Ajrak has been in Sindh since the birth of its civilization. Blue colour is dominantly used in Ajrak. Also, Sindh was traditionally a large producer of indigo and cotton cloth and both used to be exported to the Middle East. Ajrak is a mark of respect when it is given to an honoured quest, friend or woman. In Sindh, it is most commonly given as a gift at Eid, at weddings, or on other special occasions - like homecoming.

Along with Ajrak the Rilli or patchwork sheet, is another Sindhi icon and part of the heritage and culture. Every Sindhi home will have set of Rillis - one for each member of the family and few spare for guests. Rilli is made with different small pieces of different geometrical shapes of cloths sewn together to create intricate designs.

Rilhi is also given as a gift to friends and visitors. It is used as a bedspread as well as a blanket. A beautifully sewn Rilli can also become part of a bride or grooms gifts. Rural women in Sindh are skilful in producing Sindhi caps.

Sindhi caps are manufactured commercially on a small scale at New Saeedabad and Hala New. These are in demand with visitors from Karachi and other places and these manufacturing units have very limited production due to lack of marketing facilities.

Major attractions

Sindh has numerous tourist sites with the most prominent being the ruins of Mohenjo-daro near the city of Larkana. Islamic architecture is quite prominent in the province with the Jama Masjid in Thatta built by the Mughal emperor Shahjahan and numerous mausoleums dot the province including the very old Shahbaz Qalander mausoleum dedicated to the Iranian-born Sufi and the beautiful mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah known as the Mazar-e-Quaid in Karachi.

Famous people

There are many famous people from Sindh including the following:

See also

• Jhulelal
• Muhajir Urdu
• Kutch
• Khojki
• Khoja
• Punjab
• Scinde Dawk
• Sovira

External links

Official

• World Sindhi Congress
• Sindh Website
• Sindhi Vouge
• Daily Awami Awaz (1st Sindhi Computerize News Paper)
• Sindhi Music
• Sindhi Literature
• The Sindhi Nation's Story
• The Royal Talpurs of Sindh
• Rakaposhi Hiking Club
• Sachal FM-105
• Current Map of the Districts of Sindh
• Sindh Telephone Directory

Template:PakPoliticalDivisions

1. Unofficial website on the Talpurs - URL accessed March 4, 2006

• Provinces of Pakistan
• Subdivisions of Pakistan
• Sindh